Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The state of Qatar has expressed immense interest in the experience Bulgaria gained while building and operating Sofia’s underground project. This became clear during a visit by Qatar’s Minister of Municipality Affairs and Urban Planning Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Khalifa Al Thani to the country’s underground. Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Khalifa Al Thani, who came to Bulgaria specifically to acquaint himself with the capital’s tube, was accompanied by Ivaylo Moskovski, Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications. Officials visited the station near the National Palace of Culture, took a train to Lavov Most (Lion's Bridge) and went to see the ruins near the Serdika station.

Minister Ivaylo Moskovski went over the particulars of the construction works on the underground, emphasising the unprecedented price/quality ratio Bulgaria achieved while managing the project. “Over the past three years, we built over 13 kilometres of the underground network, including 13 new stations”, Minister Moskovski said. According to him each station has unique architecture, giving Sofia’s tube an authentic look. The delegation from Qatar was impressed by the subway network, as well as the archaeological complex near the Serdika station.

Interest in Bulgaria’s underground was first expressed when Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and a delegation of government officials visited the Arab state in March. Qatar, which is yet to undertake the task of building an underground, could benefit from Bulgaria’s experience in this area in the spirit of bilateral co-operation.